Automatic weft-replenishing loom.



H. WYMAN. AUTOMATIC WBFT RBPLBNISHING LooM.

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H. WYMAN. AUTOMATIC WEPT REPLENISHING LooM.

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HORACE WYMAN, Ol` WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'lO OROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1908.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Homer VYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at iloreester, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Veft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to looms, and particularly to automatic weft replenishing looms of the class shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent, No. 600,053, of March l, 1898, in which there is a magazine or reservoir at one end of the loom, containing bobbins or filling carriers of different colors, and also a single shuttle box at said end of the loom, and a transferrer mechanism, which, upon the substantial exhaustion of filling in the running shuttle, acts to transfer a bobbin or filling carrier from the magazine into the running shuttle in the single shuttle box, when the lay is in its forward position.

The magazine is provided with compartments for the bobbins or filling carriers, having dierent colored filling thereon, which are arranged in groups, and means are provided to move the magazine back and forth, and separate means are provided to rotate it in one direction, as required, according to the indications of the pattern surface on the other end of the loom.

On the other end of the loom from the magazine, there are a plurality of change or shifting shuttle boxes, carrying bobbins having different colored fillings, corresponding to the fillings on the bobbins in the compartments of the magazine. Suppose there are two shifting shuttle boxes, each having a filling of a different color, then the magazine will be divided into sections, each section having two bobbins, and each bobbin having a filling ofa color corresponding to the color of the filling in one of the shuttles. There will be in the magazine two sets of bobbins, one set with a filling of one color, and the other setwith a filling of another color, and the bobbins will be arranged so that the colors will alternate. The movement of the shifting shuttle boxes is controlled by the ordinary pattern indicating mechanism.

There is shown in Patent, No. 665,845, on the same end of the loom as the shifting shuttle boxes, a filling detector mechanism,

which acts in coperation with the shifting shuttle boxes to detect substantial exhaustion of filling in any one of the shuttle boxes, when the same is on a line with the race-way of the lay, and through connections to the transferrer mechanism, causes the transferrer mechanism to operate to supply fresh filling of the same color to the running shuttle, all in the usual and well known way in the class of looms referred to.

In the class of looms referred to, as heretofore made, a bobbin or filling carrier having filling of the same color as the filling on theI bobbin in the active shuttle, has been held in position in the magazine over the single shuttle box at that end of the loom, so that in ease the filling detector mechanism causes a fresh bobbin to be supplied from the magazine, a bobbin having the same colered filling as the bobbin ejected from the shuttle, will be supplied to the active shuttle.

In the running of looms of the class referred to, with a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at one end, having shuttles carrying fillings of different colors, there are many changes of the shuttle boxes, to bring into action the different shuttles having thereon fillings of different colors, before the filling in any one of the shuttles becomes so nearly exhausted as to cause the filling detector mechanism to operate the transferrer mechanism to supply a fresh bobbin, having filling of the same color, to the active shuttle. At each change of the shifting shuttle boxes, through connections intermediate said boxes and the magazine, the magazine also changes its position, in order to keep a bobbin over the active shuttle having therein the same colored filling as is carried in the active shuttle.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the ordinary construction of looms of the class referred. to, and more particularly to do away with the movement of the magazine at every movement of the shifting shuttle boxes, and to have the magazine remain in a forward position to which it has been returned after a movement thereof, unaffected by the successive movements of the shuttle boxes, from one box to another, in the normal operation of the loom, until on the substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, the filling detector mechanism acts to cause the transferrer mechanism to supply fresh filling to the active shuttle.

llO

causes such a position of the magazine that a bobbin or filling carrier having thereon filling of the same color as is contained in the l active shuttle, will be in a position to be transferred from the magazine into the active shuttle. After the filling has been supplied to the active shuttle, the magazine may remain at rest, until the iilling detector mechanism indicates that a change of filling is to take place, and if there is a different colored filling in the magazine from that in the active shuttle, in position to be transferred, then the magazine will be moved, to bring a bobbin, having thereon filling of the 'same color as the filling in the active shuttle,

into position to have said bobbin transferred into the active shuttle. Instead of having the magazine remain at rest after a bobbin has been transferred therefrom into the active shuttle, I prefer to have a normal position over the active shuttle for a compartment having always the same color of filling on the bobbin as the color of filling in the shuttle of one of the shuttle boxes, in this instance the lower shuttle box, and whenever there is an indication for the transfer of a bobbin having thereon another color of iilling than that in said compartment, then a compartment carrying a bobbin of filling of the same color as the bobbin in the upper shuttle box will be brought into position under the transferrer, to be transferred into the active shuttle, and, upon the next change of shuttle boxes, the magazine will be moved into its normal position again. When there is an indication for a transfer of a bobbin having the same color of filling as the bobbin in the lower shuttle box, and said filling is in position under the transferrer, no movement of the magazine will be required or made.

cient portions of a loom of the class referred to, having thereon a magazine for the bobbins, a transferrer mechanism, a filling detector mechanism, connections intermediate the same and the transferrer mechanism,

shifting shuttle boxes, and means for operating the same, and connections intermediate the shifting shuttle boxes and the magazine, for moving said magazine, and connections intermediate the shifting shuttle boxes and the filling detector mechanism, all of which may be of any usual and well known construction, with my improvements combined therewith.

Referring to the drawings r-F igure 1 is an end view of parts of a loom of the class referred to, with my improvements applied thereto, looking in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 2; the shifting shuttle boxes are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and is broken out at the center. Fig. 8 is a detached view of the shuttle boxes, in a differentposition from what is shown in Fig. 1, and parts of my improvements combined therewith. Fig. 4 corresponds to Fig. 3, but shows a different position of the shuttle boxes, and my improvements combined therewith, and, Fig. 5 shows a different position of some ofthe parts shown in Figs. 3, and 4.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 are the 'loom sides or ends, 2 the breast beam, 3 the lay swords, pivotally mounted at their lower ends, 4 the lay, 5 the lay connectors to the crank shaft 6. There are in this instance two shifting shuttle boxes 7, at one end of the lay, carrying the shuttles 8, each having a bobbin 9 therein, and supported on the upper end of the vertically moving box rod 10, which, through connector 11 is connected with the box lever 12. The box lever 12, through link 12 is connected with a well known box motion, which comprises a mutilated pinion or master gear 13 fast on the bottom or cam shaft 14, mutilated pinion 15, and provided with means in the ordinary way, by which it is thrown into and out of operative connection with the master gear 13, through arm 16, mounted on a stud, and connector 17 to the rock shaft 18, mounted in suitable bearings 19, and connector 20 to the indicator pattern lever 21, which extends over the rotary pattern chain 22, made up of rolls and tubes, all in the usual and well known way.

The filling detector mechanism, in this instance shown in the drawings, is of the type shown in U. S. Letters Patent, No`

665,845, except that in said patent the feelers and the feeler frame has a vertical reciprocating movement with the shifting shuttle boxes, as they are raised and lowered, while in the construction shown in the drawings, the feelers and the feeler frame have a pivotal motion. This construction of the feeler frame, having a pivotal motion, is described and claimed in United States Letters Patent, No. 806,966.

In the filling detector mechanism, a connector Q3 is connected at its lower end with the vertically moving shuttle box rod 10. The upper end of the connector 23 is pivotally connected to the inner end of the feeler frame 24, which is, in this instance pivotally supported at its outer end at 25 in an upright stand 25, see Fig. 1, on a bracket 25 attached to the loom frame, see Fig. 2.

The feelers 26, in this instance ti To in number, correspond in construction and operation to the feelers, shown and described in said Letters Patent, No. 665,845, and consist of pins free to have longitudinal movement within the center of a coil of wire, through which an electric current is adapted to pass, by `means of wires 27 and 28, leading to the opposite poles of any suitable source of electric energy.

Each bobbin 9 has a metallic band thereon in the usual way, not shown, which when exposed by the substantial exhaustion of filling on the bobbin, attracts a feeler Q6, and draws it out of its support, as fully described in said patent, leaving an opening at the rear of the feeler for the entrance of the upper end of a detector arm 29, having a hub 29 pivotally mounted on a pin 29, see Fior. 1.

lxtending down from the hub 29 of the detector arm 29 is an arm 29, see Fig. l, which has pivotally attached thereto a rod 30, which extends transversely across the loom, and is connected with mechanism at the opposite or filling supply end of the loom, not shown herein, which on the longitudinal movement of the rod 30, actuated by a coil spring29 around the pin 29 when the detector arm 29 moves into the space back of a feeler 26 when said feeler is drawn out, will allow mechanism, at the opposite end of the loom to operate, to cause the dagger 31 to be moved into the path of the bunter 32 on the lay, and cause the t-ransferrer arm 33 to operate to transfer a bobbin 9 from the magazine 34 into the active shuttle in the single shuttle box at the filling supply end of the loom, when the lay is in its forward position, in the usual and well known way.

In connection with the detector arm 29 and the downwardly extending arm 29 thereon, a longitudinally moving rod 29a, see Fig. 2, is usec, to engage the arm 29 and move inwardly the detector arm 29. A cam 291 on the bottom shaft 14, through cam lever 29C, having ak spring 29 attached thereto connector rod 29d, and angle lever 29e, operates the rod 29a, in the usual way.

The magazine 34 may be of the ordinary and well known construction, and have compartments to carry bobbins 9, having fillings of different colors thereon, in this instance two colors, arranged alternately.

The mechanism shown in the drawing for operating the magazine according` to the movement of the shuttle boxes is fully shown and described in U. S. Patent, No. 793,337, and therefor will only require a brief description herein.

A rotary motion is communicated to the magazine 34, to bring a bobbin of the desired color under the transferrer, in thisl instance through a bevel gear 35 (Fig. 2) meshing with a bevel gear on the magazine, not shown. in the usual way and as fully shown and described in U. S. Patent, No. 793,337, above referred to. The bevel gear 35 is fast on the front end of a rearwardly extending shaft 36, mounted in suitable bearings and having a bevel gear 37 fast thereon, near its outer end. On the shaft 36 is also loosely mounted a reversely placed bevel gear 38, having also spur gear teeth 38 thereon. An intermediate bevel gear 39, between gears 37 and 38, is loosely mounted on a stud carried on the ratchet wheel 40 and extends between and meshes with the two bevel gears 37 and 38. The ratchet wheel 40 has a check wheel 41 thereon, which is engaged by a roll 42 on an arm 42, actuated by a spring 4Q, see Fig. 2.

The ratchet wheel 40 is adapted to be rotated by a pawl 43, pivotally mounted on a pin 43 on one end of an angle lever 44, the hub 44 of which is loosely mounted on the shaft 36. The other end of the angle lever 44 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a connector 45, which has movement communicated thereto from a moving part of the loom, to actuate the pawl 43, when a bobbin has been transferred from the magazine, and through the compound gearing, move the magazine from one division to another division, which carries a similar colored bobbin to the one transferred, as fully described in said Letters Patent No. 793,337, before referred to.

The spur gear teeth 38 are engaged by the teeth on a rack 46, which is attached to a longitudinally moving rod 47, having a reciprocating motion in bearings 48 on the rear of the loom arch. Attached to the reciprocating moving rod 47 is a collar 49, carrying a pin 49', on which .is pivotally mounted one end of a connector 50; the other end of the connector 50 is pivotally attached to one arm of an angle lever 51, the hub 51/ of which is mounted on a stud 52 on a stand 5i secured to the loom arch. The other arm of the angle lever 5l has pivotally connected thereto, the upper end of a connector 54, see Fig. l. The lower end of the connector 54 is adjustably connected to one end of a lever 55, which is centrally pivoted on a stud 56 on a stand 57. The other end of the lever 55 has a stud 55 thereon, which instead of being pivotally connected with the upper' end of the vertically moving rod 58, as shown and described in said Patent, No. 793,337, extends into and travels in a vertically extending slot 58 in the upper end of said rod 58. rlhe lower end of said rod 58 is connected with the vertically moving box rod 10.

It will be understood that with the exception of the slot 58 in the rod 58, all of the above described mechanisms may be of any usual and well known construction in the type of looms referred to herein, and particularly shown and described in U. S. Patent, No. 793,337, above referred to and the same form no part of my present invention, except as used in combination with my improvements.

I will now describe my improvements, which as before stated particularly relate to mechanism for controlling the movement back and forth of the filling supply magazine, so that the magazine will be normally stationary during the normal operation of the loom. 1n this instance on the bottom or cam shaft 14 is fast a cam GO, which in this instance has cam groove GO in one face thereof, in which travels a pin 61 on one end of a lever 61, which is centrally pivoted on a stud 62 on a stand 63, secured to the loom frame, see Fig'. 1. The other end of the lever 61 has pivotally connected thereto the lower end of a vertically extending rod G4, which has on its upper end a hook or side extension 64. The vertically moving rod G4 is guided at its upper end by a loop 58 secured to the vertically moving rod 58. The rod 64 is connected at its upper end with the downwardly extending arm 29 on the detector arm 29 of the filling detector mechanism, see Fig. 1, through a lever G5, which is pivoted on a pin 66 on a bracket 67, and has one arm extending in the path of and adapted to be engaged by the downwardly extending arm 29 on the detector arm 29,

and the other arm provided with a slotted end 65, adapted to receive the rod 64, and to move said rod on its pivotal support inwardly and outwardly, according to the movement of the lever 65, andthe downwardly extending arm 29 on the detector arm 29. The inward and outward movement of the upper hook end 64 of the rod 64, guided in the loop 58 on the rod 58, causes the hook end 64 of the rod 64 to be moved into or out of the path of the stud 55 on the lever 55. On a side extension 58 on the upper slotted end of the rod 58, is pivoted a latch 68, having a beveled end which is adapted to engage a stop 58 on the slotted end of the rod 58, to limit the upward motion of said latch 68, see Fig. 4. The latch 68 is adapted to extend over and rest upon the stud 55 on the lever 55, see Fig. 1.

I will now describe the operation of my improvements.

Vhen the loom is running normally with the shuttle boxes moving up and down for the change of colors in the fabric, with the filling in the shuttles not substantially exhausted, no action of the filling change mechanism will take place, and the magazine, the connections to the lever 55, and said lever will remain at rest, and the stud 55 on the lever 55 will be in its highest position, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the shuttle boxes move down, from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, and the rod 58 moves with them, the slotted end 58 on said rod allows the downward movement of said rod, without moving the stud 55 from its normal position shown in Fig. 3.

When the shuttle boxes move up, from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and the rod 58 moves up with them, the stud 55 will remain stationary, and in the position shown in Fig. 3, the slotted end 58 of the rod 58 allowing the upward movement of said rod without moving said stud 55. In case of substantial exhaustion of filling in the shuttle in the lower shuttle box, when said box is in line with the race-way, as shown in Fig. 3, and the normal position of t-he magazine being with a bobbin under the transferrer having the same colored filling as the filling in the lower shuttle box, then no movement of the magazine will take place, and a fresh filling will be supplied through the operation of the filling detector mechanism, in the usual way.

rfhe operation of the filling detector mechanism will move the hook end G4 on the vertically moving rod 64 inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, but the engagement of the hook end G4 with the inclined edge of the latch G8, which is in its lowered position resting on the stud 55, will cause the hook end 64 in the downward movement of the rod 64 to pass by the stud 55 without engaging the same. The loom can now continue to operate, and the shuttle boxes shift from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the magazine having been moved, the distance of one compartment to bring another bobbin of the same color as the bobbin in the lower shuttle in position under the transferrer, in the manner described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 793,337. Then the upper box is in line with the raceway, as shown in Fig. 4, and the lling therein becomes substantially exhausted, it is necessary for the magazine to move, to bring a color corresponding to the color in the shuttle in the upper box into position to be transferred into said box.

The operation of the detecting mechanism to detect substantial exhaustion of filling in the upper shuttle box, will cause the upper end 64 of the vertically moving rod 64, to move inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4, to the position shown in Fig. 5, with the hook end 64 extending over the stud 55, and the downward movement of the rod 64, which is independent of the movement of the shifting shuttle boxes, will move down the stud 55, and with it the lever 55, into the position shown in Fig. l, causing, through connections to the magazine, the rotary movement of the magazine to bring a bobbin having filling of the saine color as the filling in the upper shuttle box into position to be transferred into said shuttle box. After this operation, as long as the upper shuttle box remains on a line with the raceway, as shown in Fig. l, the lever 55 and the connections to the magazine, and the magazine will remain in the same position,-after the magazine has been moved the distance of one compartment, to bring a new filling of the same color into position, as described in Patent No. 7 93 ,337, above referred to.V Then the shuttle boxes shift, and the lower shuttle box is raised in line with the race-way, the upward movement of the rod 58 with the shuttle box rod 10, will move upwardly the stud 55 extending in the lower end of the slot 58, and will move the lever 55, from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 3, and through the connections between said lever and the magazine, will rotate the magazine to return it to its normal position, with a bobbin having the filling thereon of the same color as the filling in the lower shuttle box, in position to be transferred on substantial exhaustion of filling in the lower shuttle box, all as will be fully understood by those skilled in the art.

The advantages of my improvements will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

4The filling supply magazine carrying the bobbins, in the ordinary construction of the looms of the class referred to, has a movement communicated thereto at every movement of the shifting shuttle boxes, while in my improvements it is only moved when sub- .stantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle has indicated for a fresh bobbin to be supplied to said shuttle of a different color from that inthe bobbin in position in the magazine, and after the filling has been supplied, in the preferred construction of my improvements, as shown in the drawings and herein described, the magazine remains stationary after the movement above described, until the first movement of the shifting shuttle boxes moves the magazine, to return it to its normal position; it will then remain stationary until substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle indicates for a fresh supply of filling of a different color from that which is in position in the magazine.

It will be understood that the details of construction of my improvements may be varied if desired, and they may be adapted to be applied to weft replenishing looms of different kinds.

I do not intend to limit my invention to the particular construction of mechanism shown in the drawings, and above described, for keeping the magazine stationary during the successive shiftings of the shuttle boxes when the fillings are not substantially exhausted, as I may employ any suitable means for keeping the magazine stationary during the shifting of the shuttle boxes, in the normal operation of the loom, and as long as there is no indication for change of filling.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of magazine, but any magazine which has different compartments for different colored fillings, may be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a weft replenishing loom, a movable magazine carrying bobbins or filling carriers, shifting or change shuttle boxes, connections intermediate said shuttle boxes and the magazine, filling detector mechanism to detect substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, transferrer mechanism for transferring' a bobbin from the magazine into the active shuttle, connections intermediate the transferrer mechanism and the filling detector mechanism, and mechanism connected with the filling detector mechanism and operated thereby, to be moved into a position to move the magazine through intermediate connections.

2. In a weft replenishing loom, a movable magazine, connections therefrom to an actuating lever intermediate said magazine and the shifting shuttle boxes, and said lever, and means to move said lever to move the magazine independently of the movement of the shifting shuttle boxes, the operation of said means controlled by the filling detector mechanism for detecting substantial exhaustion of filling in thc active shuttle, and said filling d etector mechanism.

In a weft replenishing loom, shifting or change shuttle boxes, connections lo the magazine, and said magazine having bobbins with different colored fillings arranged in different compartments, and only moved to supply fresh filling when a filling of a different color from that in the active sluittle is indicated to be supplied.

ll. In a weft replenishing loom, a movable magazine carrying bobbins with different colored fillings arranged in different compartments, connections from said magazine to change or shifting shuttle boxes, one of said connections being an actuating lever carrying a pin adapted to travel in a slot in the upper end of a vertically moving rod, and said red connected to and moving with the vertically moving box rod, and carrying a latch to extend over said pin, a vertically moving rod having an extension thereon adapted to extend over and engage the pin on said lever, and means for communicating a positive motion to said rod with the extension thereon, at regular intervals, connections intermediate said rod with the extension thereon and the filling detector mechanism, which detects substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, and said filling detector mechanism, adapted, on the substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle to operate said rod with the extension thereon and move it 'into a position to engage the pin on said lever, to operate said lever and move the magazine through intermediate connections.

5. In a weft replenishing loom, a movable magazine carrying bobbins 'with different colored fillings arranged in diferent compartments, connections from said magazine to change or shifting shuttle boxes, one of said connections being an actuating lever carrying a pin adapted to travel in a slot in the upper end of a vertically moving rod, and said rod connected to and moving with the vertically moving box rod, and carrying' a latch to extend over said pin, a vertically moving rod having an extension thereon adapted to extend over and engage the pin on said lever, and means for communicating a positive motion to said rod With the extension thereon, at regular intervals, connections intermediate said rod with the extension thereon and the filling detector mechanism, which detects substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, and said filling detector mechanism adapted on the substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle to operate said rod With the extension thereon and move it into a position to engage the pin on said lever, to operate said lever and move the magazine through intermediate connections, unless the latch extending over said pin prevents the engagement therewith of the extension on said rod.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having shifting or change shuttle boxes at one end carrying bobbins of diierent colored fillings, a movable magazine at the other end of the loom carrying bobbins of different colored fillings, corresponding to the llings in the shuttles, said magazine being stationary during the normal operation of the loom, and means to move said magazine, when a substantially exhausted bobbin of a different color of lling from that in position in the magazine, is indicated to be transferred.

HORACE WYE/IAN.

lVitnesses J. C. DEWEY, M. HAAs. 

